


A Witch and his Dragon

by spnfanatic



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abusive John Winchester, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, BAMF Castiel (Supernatural), Canon-Typical Violence, Chuck's a good guy, Dean Winchester Has Powers, Dragon Dean Winchester, Drama, Fantasy, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Magic, Minor Character Death, Romance, Slow Burn, Witch Castiel (Supernatural), Witch's Familiar Dean Winchester, Witches, really i do, sorry I love John
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22826374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spnfanatic/pseuds/spnfanatic
Summary: A/U Castiel Novak is a new witch. He comes from a powerful bloodline and is expected to do great things. He just needs a familiar. All the great witches have familiars. Like his dad, his grandad, his great grandad… Familiars, after all, are the key to unlocking a witch’s true potential. He just doesn’t expect his familiar to come in the form of a young, hot headed blond haired kid with green eyes and freckles named Dean Winchester. Eventual Cas/Dean, slow burnInspired by the episode: Man's Best Friend With Benefits, and Harry Potter
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 18
Kudos: 57





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This will be casually updated.

Chuck Novak smiled as he watched his son cross the stage and take his certificate and wand from the principal’s outstretched hands. He couldn’t have been more proud of his son for graduating the top of his class in the witch academy. Cas worked hard for this moment, taking all the additional training Chuck dished out seriously. He pet his familiar, Mary- _a beautiful, large leopard_ -purring contentedly next to him, sprawled out on two of the seats. 

Next to him sat his wife, Anna. She smiled just as proudly as Cas stood by the principal as his other classmates were given their wands. In a moment Cas would take center stage and give a speech for graduation day. Anna was so happy for her son. Even though Cas had been nervous the previous night about this exact moment, Anna knew Cas would do great.

The stage eventually cleared and the principal gave a small speech about how wonderful becoming a true witch really was and everyone should be proud of their accomplishments at the school, before he handed the mic over to Cas. Cas stepped up and cleared his throat.

“Hello,” he said rather awkwardly. He cleared his throat again and looked out into the audience. He could see everyone’s eyes on him, some intense and some nodding encouragingly. He seeked out his parents and found them immediately in the middle of the crowd. Chuck and Anna nodded, smiles bright and eyes twinkling and Cas somehow found the courage he needed to begin his speech.

“Hello, my fellow classmates and parents,” he said, voice louder and more confident. “As you all know, today is a very special day. For all of us…” he looked down at the paper in front of him, the one he wrote for a whole week. He looked back up, doing a quick sweep around the room. He remembered every word he wrote. He thought he did a pretty good job writing out how he felt at the academy, getting to meet his classmates and grow up with them not just as witches but as people, but he suddenly realized, there were no words that could really truly grasp how he felt right now. 

Overwhelmed with joy and scared shitless in being let loose into the real world after spending 4 long, hard years trying to prove himself a capable witch in not just the eyes of his instructors but also to his parents...Cas decided to throw out his speech. He heard some gasps in the front row and saw some of his classmates straighten up, intrigued by his actions. Cas started to talk about his early days at the academy and the hardships he and his classmates endured together. He spoke about how no one gave up and how that was a good trait to have because the real world and the academy are two completely different things.

Half way through his improvised speech, he found his dad’s face and watched in silent awe as he started to tear up. His mom was weeping openly, moved by how emotional Cas got. He continued on, encouraged by the responses.

“Remember that no matter how hard it gets, we all did great things here, we all accomplished so much,” Cas said, his gaze sweeping over the front row to where most of his classmates sat. “We’re all in this together and I just know we’re all destined for greatness.” He took a small bow at the end of his speech, to the sound of loud applause and cheering. Cas stood up and beamed as the principal came back and hugged him, before taking the mic back and offering another round of applause.

Cas eventually took his seat in the middle of the front row and the graduation ceremony came to close a few minutes later. Students and parents started to stand up and stretch, some coming over to Cas to give him a hug and congratulate him on his speech. Cas felt his cheeks heat up at all the compliments. He smiled and nodded his thanks before standing up and making a beeline for his parents.

“Congrats, Cas!” Chuck said with a smile. He grabbed Cas and pulled him in a tight hug.

Mary purred loudly beside him.

Anna came up beside them and hugged Cas as well. Cas could hear her start to cry on his shoulder. “I’m so happy for you, Cas,” she said.

Cas beamed at his parents. He couldn’t believe it. He was finally, officially a witch now.

-

Unfortunately it wasn’t quite a done deal just yet. Cas found out the day after graduation day he still needed a familiar. According to his dad, only familiars could unlock a witch’s true potential. He should’ve expected it honestly. Looking at Mary, it was no wonder Chuck was heralded as one of the greatest witches of all time. She was large and beautiful and majestic and really, freaking powerful.

She had been in their family for generations, long before Cas or dad or grandad or great grandad. Chuck didn’t even know how old she really was and when Mary transformed into her human form she wouldn’t even tell him her age. Cas kind of suspected Mary might not know, like she forgot. That just added to her charm though.

Cas really hoped he’d get something like Mary. Something beautiful and fiercely protective and loyal and powerful. He looked over at his mom absently stroking Mary. His mom wasn’t a witch like dad was. She was human, which made Cas only half witch.

At first when his parents told him this at the young age of 8, Cas wasn’t sure what that meant except that lots of the kids at school would make fun of him. Being half witch and half human was seen as weak to some of the witch community. It didn’t last long though because when dad got wind of all the bullying Cas had to endure in grade school, he was livid and stormed to the principal and demanded the school take action or there would be hell to pay. 

It was the first time Cas saw that side of Chuck and realized just how much sway he had over the witch community. Cas may only be half witch, but he was born into the right bloodline. A powerful one.

No one cared that Cas was half human after that. In fact, more of his peers started to look up to him and wanted to be friends. Cas didn’t care if most of those friendships were artificial and only happened because of who his dad was. He was in awe of how much influence his dad had. Cas decided early on he was going to be the most powerful witch of all time, surpassing even his dad.

And to do that, he was going to need a familiar.

-

Dean wasn’t sure where he was going. He was just following a feeling in his guts honestly. A cold breeze passed and Dean shivered, tugging his jacket tightly around his body, before shoving his hands into the pockets of his denim jeans, as he continued to walk. It was a nice, cloudless day. The sun beamed down on him.

God, the warmth made him want to transform and take flight. Dean had to fight back natural instincts to shed his human skin. He sighed. When he learned he was part dragon when he was a little kid by accidentally transforming into one in front of the mirror, it freaked him the fuck out. Nowadays he was able to control when he shifted which made all the difference in the world.

Being a dragon had its perks. Like being able to fly and not give a damn because he could swoop through the clouds and get away from everything. And breathing fire at stuff was also pretty cool.

Unfortunately it also came with some downsides. _Like becoming homeless because your dad didn’t understand how he could have a monster for a son_ , Dean thought bitterly. Like never being able to see Sammy again because dad wanted him nowhere near his _true_ son because Dean was suddenly dangerous. 

Dean was so caught up in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice the person until it was too late and he collided into said person and stumbled back.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the person said immediately as Dean hissed in surprise.

Dean looked up and glared at the guy, “Watch it, dumbass!”

“I said I’m…” the guy’s words died in his mouth once he got a good look at Dean.

Dean’s glare deepened under the guy’s suddenly intense gaze, dark blue eyes meeting Dean’s bright green ones. “What?” he growled, a bit uncomfortable with the way the guy was looking at him.

“You...you’re,” the guy started uneasily. He stopped and took a step forward, reaching to grab Dean. “Can’t you feel it?”

Dean was about to snap out a ‘ _what the fuck are you talking about_?’ but then the guy’s hand darted out and grabbed Dean’s arm and he felt a spark of electricity shoot through him. 

_Oh crap._


	2. Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still casually updated. Although there might be another part coming up later tonight. Just currently a little depressed the show is almost over. At least we still have fanfics!

Oh crap indeed.

Dean was not doing this today. If he ignored it, the spark, the bond, whatever, it would go away. It had to. Because fate was not going to put him together with this asshole. And it was obvious in the way the guy looked, Dean was correct in assuming, he was indeed an asshole. Dark hair, blue eyes, the intense ‘ _submit to me now_ ’ gaze that probably worked on everyone _except_ Dean Winchester. The way the guy held himself, like he was better than everyone else. Oh yeah, fuck witches. Dean was not getting stuck with a witch, especially this witch.

He spun around and attempted to walk away. Mid step, however, the guy managed to grab him again and almost made Dean fall backwards. 

“Wait! Where are you going?” the asshole asked, confusion in his voice.

Dean gritted his teeth, angry the guy wouldn’t let him leave. He grabbed hold of the guy’s arm and spun himself around to face the witch again. Gone was the intense stare and in its place was genuine confusion, which seemed to only deepen at Dean’s scowl.

“Where do you think I’m going?” Dean snapped. “I’m _going_ away from you. Or trying to at least.” The guy looked shocked at the hostility in his voice. He used that to his advantage and roughly shoved the guy away from him. “Don’t follow me.”

Dean didn’t wait for the guy to respond. He turned back around and started to walk away again. This time he wasn’t pulled back. God he hated witches. It just reminded him of what he was and while being a dragon was mostly awesome, it reminded him far more of what he lost. Not for the first time he wondered how Sammy was dealing with Dad. If John could really be called a dad nowadays. He practically married his beer bottle at the point he decided to kick Dean out.

Not even ten minutes later, he could feel the damn witch behind him due to the stupid bond they shared.

Dean sped up his pace, but the witch persisted matching him step by step. The asshole bumped shoulders with him before Dean stopped, glaring. “What the hell, man! When someone says ‘don’t follow’, it usually means not to follow.”

The guy was huffing, like he was out of breath. Great. Not only was he bonded to an uppity asshole witch, he was bonded to one that wasn’t even in shape. “Look, I uh don’t know what I even did to warrant this kind of hostility. We’ve just met and I feel like I killed your cat or something. I...didn’t kill your cat, did I?” The witch asked, looking somewhat worried.

Dean ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Was this guy for real? It took Dean a moment to realize the guy was actually waiting for an answer. “No,” he huffed. “No you didn’t fucking kill my cat. You didn’t do anything, OK?”

“Oh...thank god. I was actually a little worried there for a moment,” the guy responded, looking relieved. “Sorry for bumping into you earlier. My name is Cas. Castiel Novak.” He extended a hand out, which Dean just stared at. Did the guy really expect Dean to shake it? The guy, Castiel, dropped it awkwardly when he noticed Dean wasn’t going to shake it.

“That’s nice,” Dean said simply.

Castiel raised an eyebrow. “ _That’s nice_? That’s all you have to say?”

Dean sighed. “Look, I don’t think you’re getting the memo here. I don’t care about your name. I don’t want to be friends. I just want you to stop following me. Just let us go our separate ways and forget about all this.”

“What? Why? We just met and found out we’re meant to be together. That’s what a bond is for,” Castiel said.

How dense was this guy? Dean was trying to let the guy down easy. It didn’t work. Dean could feel his frustration start to build. “Did you not listen to a word I just said, asshole? I don’t get chummy with witches. I don’t do the whole ‘ _witch and fam_ ’ thing. So fuck off and find another fam to bond with or whatever you witches do.”

Cas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Like what the fuck did he ever do to this guy to piss him off so much? And of all the familiars that he had to end up with...it had to be this guy? Did he do something terrible in another lifetime and this was his punishment or something? The familiar started to walk away when Cas didn’t say anything, too bewildered and frustrated to come up with a response in time. He ran after him, catching up in seconds.

“Wait! Don’t you know anything about bonds?” Cas asked when the guy continued to walk, side glancing Cas for a moment. He didn’t say anything so Cas continued, “Bonds are permanent. And I don’t know what you know about witches, but we certainly don’t pick which familiar to bond with. So I’m sorry if you think I bonded with you on purpose, but I assure you, it came as a surprise to me as well. And there’s nothing either of us can do to break the bond, short of death. So we’re stuck with each other whether you like it or not.”

“Great,” the guy said under his breath.

“At least tell me your name. I told you mine,” Cas said, trying not to get too annoyed by the guy’s visible annoyance. Seriously, what did he do to this jerk?

He was met with more silence. Cas didn’t think he’d get an answer to be honest. “Dean.” It was said so quietly Cas almost didn’t catch it.

Dean. As Cas looked at him more closely, it somehow fit his appearance. Dean sounded like a name for a hot headed kid -and he was a kid, he couldn’t be older than 18- with blond hair and green eyes and freckles.

As Cas walked quietly beside Dean, he wondered what Dean’s story was. Dean had such a deep seated hatred for Cas, or at least Cas’ kind, that it intrigued him. It wasn’t often he came across such outright hostility from people, let alone familiars. Familiars were there to help witches. And all the ones he’s ever met either loved the witch community or didn’t care one way or the other.

“So I guess you’re right about the bond,” Dean said after a while.

Cas was so used to the silence, he blinked, caught off-guard. “What?”

Dean sighed. “We’re really stuck, aren’t we?” His face took on a scowl again and Cas could feel his frustration come off Dean in waves. It hit him with enough force to make him stumble back. “I think the bond lets us sense each other’s emotions.” Dean didn’t look too happy with the notion.

Cas gulped nervously. He hadn’t read about that but then again, he didn’t spend too much time reading about bonds. He really should have but honestly, he had been busy with other topics on magic, he skipped out on fam reading. 

“So, what...I’ll be able to sense when you’re angry or something?” Cas had to ask.

Dean nodded. “And vice versa.”

Great. Like they really needed to be even more connected. Especially when it seemed like the default for Dean was anger. He couldn’t see the use in something like that, especially if it came out as a physical force that knocked him backwards.

“Right,” he said dumbly. “We can just try and stay calm around each other?” It was supposed to be a joke.

Dean just rolled his eyes.

“So where are we going now?” Cas asked, changing the subject.

“Well _I_ was going to check up on my brother. I guess you’re going to have to tag along.”

“You have a brother?” Cas asked in surprise. It didn’t cross his mind that Dean could have a family. He should have realized earlier to be honest.

“Yeah,” Dean said. 

“I didn’t know,” Cas mumbled.

“How could you?” Dean asked with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t tell you.”

“Yeah, but still. It didn’t even once cross my mind you could have a sibling but it should’ve,” Cas said.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Surprise, surprise. Even monsters like me come from somewhere.”

The statement was said so nonchalantly, like how people would say ‘ _nice weather today_ ’. It caught Cas by surprise.

“You think you’re a monster?” 

“Well yeah. I mean I’m not human, so what else could I be?” Dean asked.

“You’re a familiar,” Cas corrected.

“So a monster.” Of course Cas had to get paired with such a stubborn familiar.

“Look it doesn’t matter honestly. They’re basically the same thing,” Dean said before Cas could argue some more. “And I’m used to it by now.”

Cas sighed. He wanted to argue more but Dean was giving off the ‘drop it or else’ vibe so he decided to concede just this once. He was curious to what kind of familiar Dean was anyways. “So what kind are you?” he asked instead.

For the first time since they started walking together, Dean paused and turned toward Cas. He grinned, showing perfect, white teeth that started to elongate into canines. 

“I’m a dragon.”

Cas stared at him in shock for a moment. He thought dragons died out centuries ago.

“Seriously?” Cas found himself asking, looking at Dean dumbfounded. 

“Deadly,” Dean said. “Wanna see?”

He thought for a moment. “Yeah,” he replied, throat suddenly dry. Fuck yeah he did.


	3. Part 2

Dean wasn’t sure what possessed him to offer to show his dragon form to Castiel. He was still of the opinion the guy was just another uppity asshole witch, especially when he dropped his full name like it was supposed to mean something to Dean. If it wasn’t for the bond, Dean would’ve just gone full dragon and left Castiel’s ass in the dust ages ago. But the witch had a point. If what he said was true at least, and the bond couldn’t be broken...well that meant he wouldn’t be able to shake the guy off. Castiel would be able to find him easily due to the bond.

Dean shook his head, coming back to the present. Castiel was still waiting for him to transform like he promised and Dean wasn’t one to disappoint. He started to take off his clothes. 

“What are you doing?” Castiel asked, turning red.

Dean rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna show you my dragon form but I have to take my clothes off first or they’ll be ripped apart by the transformation.”

He tossed his shirt and jacket in a pile by his feet. Then he took off his boots and jeans, leaving just his boxers on. “Alright here goes.”

He felt his body twist and start to get bigger, longer. His fingers grew out and became claws. His skin peeled off, making way for scales. Castiel watched him, mesmerized and awe-struck and horrified all at once. Dean grimaced as his human face became that of a dragon. He was sure the transformation process wasn’t pretty to look at, judging by Castiel’s face. At least it didn’t hurt.

The last to grow out were his tail and wings. He flapped his wings menacingly, forming a large gust of wind. It swooshed past Castiel causing him to shiver.

 _What do you think?_ Dean projected into Castiel’s mind. He watched in amusement as Castiel jumped at the unexpected voice. Dean puffed out his chest, feeling majestic and powerful.

“I...uh,” Cas was at a loss for words. He was still shocked to see Dean, his familiar, was a dragon. He had a freaking _dragon_. And a gold one to boot. He thought Mary, his dad’s large leopard, was the most beautiful familiar he had ever seen. He had been worried about what he would have as a familiar, one that could match his dad’s or at least come close. But Dean was…

“You’re beautiful,” Cas said truthfully. He was in awe at how large Dean was in his dragon form. Something so utterly otherworldly and brimming with power. He was suddenly overcome with an urge to touch Dean, to feel his scales and wings, to reach out and taste his blindingly bright soul that shone out of him like a glinting diamond.

 _Thanks I guess._ Dean lowered his head slightly, like he was trying to hide a blush. 

Cas watched his every move awe-struck. He walked over to Dean slowly, cautiously. When Dean simply watched him back, waiting, Cas grew bolder and reached a hand out. “May I?”

Dean inclined his head. _Go for it._ He sounded almost pleased.

Cas touched Dean’s scales with the tip of his fingers. They were rough like he knew them to be. He trailed his fingers down for a moment. He still couldn’t believe what he was seeing or feeling. “This is surreal,” Cas murmured to himself.

 _You’re telling me_ , Dean grumbled into his head. _I’ve never shown off to anyone before. And if you go any lower, you’ll be petting my tail. I don’t know how I feel about you touching me down there just yet._ Cas knew a warning when he heard one so he stopped, walking up to Dean’s wings instead.

“Is it OK for me to touch your wings then?” Cas asked politely.

Dean thought for a moment before Cas heard him sigh in his head. _Sure, why not? I’m in a sharing and caring mood, I guess._

Cas couldn’t help the smile as he touched Dean’s wing. It was rough as well but as Cas started to move his hand along, he felt a small hum. Cas jumped at the sudden warming sensation that coursed through him that came from Dean’s wings. He recoiled his hand back in shock.

“What was that?” Cas demanded.

 _That was me_ , Dean answered vaguely. His bright green eyes met Cas. The grin on his now reptilian face looked slightly off kilter. _My powers. Here. Get on. Let me show you._

Cas could hear his heartbeat start to pick up. He was going to get to ride a dragon. _Dean._ This was like a dream come true. “Yeah, OK, if you’re sure,” he said, licking his suddenly chapped lips.

Dean rolled his eyes as he lowered down for Cas to get on. _Just get on before I change my mind. Come on. Then we can go check on my brother._

Cas didn’t need to be told twice. He hopped on Dean’s back, gripping his large neck as best he could so he didn’t fall off. Then a moment later Dean launched off and they were suddenly soaring through the clouds. Cas had never felt more free.

Flying was exhilarating. Reading about it in books didn’t do justice to the real thing. Cas looked down to see his hometown as a tiny speck in the distance. They soared over forests and mountains and Cas clung tightly to the dragon. This was incredible.

Dean could sense Cas’ excitement and snorted. _You think this is incredible. You haven’t seen anything yet. Watch this._

Before Cas could ask what Dean was planning on doing, Dean turned them around and dove down. _Hang on._ The words echoed in his head. Then suddenly they were flying head first into the ocean. Cas felt his eyes widen, “Watch out!”

Dean eased up so that he was just flying above the water, close enough for Cas to stick his hand out and feel the rush of the tide. He hesitated, wanting to do just that, still caught up in the fantastical feeling of it all. 

_Go ahead. Put your hand out. We both know you want to do it_ , came Dean’s amused voice in his head.

Cas stuck his hand out into the water. He could feel the smoothness of pebbles at the bottom. He had never come so close to the ocean before. When he peered down to the water, he saw his reflection smiling back at him. He saw Dean, his powerful wings kicking up waves, his tail swishing through the air. 

_Well?_

“This is incredible,” Cas murmured. He didn’t know what else to say. He never thought he’d have a dragon as a familiar. He never thought of the possibility of actually flying over the ocean and seeing the mountains and valleys.

_It’s just water, dude._

“No, I mean...you. You’re incredible. All of this is incredible,” Cas said. He finally took his hand out of the water. He watched schools of fish swim near the surface. He watched as they eventually disappeared back into the deeper part of the ocean. Cas was mesmerized. “You get to do this all the time. You can transform any time you want and go off and see the world.” All Cas’ life had been confined to books and studying and being part of the witch community. He went where his dad went, to show off his progress. 

But Dean was a dragon. He wasn’t stuck to an image of being like his dad because he was born to a powerful witch. He could fly wherever he wanted, get away from everything for a while if he wanted.

 _It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for me you know_ , Dean told him. He flew back up to the clouds. Cas could feel the chill high up. _I told you earlier, I have a brother. I have...had a father too. He kicked me out when he found out what kind of monster I was. And mom died when I was 4._ There was such bitterness in his voice, and Cas could feel it like it was his own. 

He knew it was because of the bond they shared as witch and familiar, that this sudden bitterness he felt was coming from Dean and he didn’t actually feel this way toward his own dad, but for a moment it was hard to tell whose feelings were whose. Then, suddenly, he was getting flooded with images. Cas rocked back with a surprised gasp.

There was an image of Dean as a little kid, with curly blond hair and large green eyes and the pretty freckles that covered his face, holding a baby and watching a house burn to the ground.

There was another image of Dean...a little older, maybe 7 or 8, sitting in front of a mirror in what Cas could assume was his bedroom, staring, as if under a spell. Then he was transforming into his dragon form. It was smaller but was just the same majestic gold color as the dragon he was on now. He could feel how freaked out kid Dean must have felt at the time. Freaked out, confused and probably really scared, because at the time, Dean had no idea what it meant.

Then suddenly another image, probably minutes later, Cas saw a dark haired man looking just as freaked out and scared to find a dragon in place of his son.

Cas gripped his head, trying to get a hold of his emotions, which had been a large swirling mess. Suddenly the images were gone and Dean swerved around a large rock protruding out.

 _Sorry. That wasn’t supposed to happen. You weren’t supposed to see any of that_ , Dean said. His voice sounded shaken. _Damn bond. OK I think it’s time for us to go back._

Cas didn’t argue. He was still reeling from the flood of images and emotions. They flew back to where they were before a half hour later. Cas got off Dean’s back and let him transform back into his human form. Dean stood naked before him. Cas turned away immediately.

They hadn’t been gone that long and Dean spotted the pile of clothes he’d left immediately. Dean picked up his jeans and started to put them on. Then he put on his tee shirt and jacket and boots. “Ready to meet my brother?”

Cas turned back around and saw that Dean was fully dressed. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Sure, yeah. How long has it been since you’ve seen him, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Dean thought for a moment. “I wasn’t actually kicked out until I was 17, so about a year now. I know we’re bonded now. And I’ll go with you wherever you want but I just want to make sure my brother’s safe. That’s all.”

Cas put his hands up in surrender. “I totally respect that, Dean. I know you don’t like me, but I would never keep you away from your brother.”

“Right. OK then,” Dean said.

They lapsed into an almost familiar, comfortable silence as Dean led them to where his brother lived. It was on the other side of town, a poorer side, one that Cas hadn’t stepped foot in because there were no known witches around here. He looked over to Dean. Cas realized that the mystery that Dean was shrouded in had its hooks in him pretty deep now.


	4. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: mentions and implied child abuse. John is not a good guy in this story.
> 
> Also to all the Sam fans, I've decided to give a bigger role to Sam in this story. Yay!

They stopped at a tall, run down building at the edge of town, and Cas couldn’t help but think there was no way Dean used to live in a place like this. Dean stood next to him, staring up at the building with a glazed over look, like he was remembering something from a long time ago. Cas looked over at the buildings on either side and noticed they were just as dirty and worn. He saw a kid peek out from one of the windows high up. 

Kid had messy dark hair, and dark, brown eyes that stared down at Cas and Dean. Cas was mildly uncomfortable, but Dean was just staring up at the kid. Cas could feel Dean’s fear and suddenly it all made sense. This was Dean’s brother.

“Sammy,” Dean whispered.

Sammy was Dean’s brother’s name. Sammy must have been the baby in Dean’s arms in one of the memories Cas was accidentally exposed to. Dean took a step forward suddenly but Sammy seemed rooted in place.

“Sammy,” Dean said louder. From the way Sammy stiffened, Cas knew he heard Dean. Emboldened by the response, Dean took another step. “Hey little bro. I came back. Wanna come down? We can catch up for a lil bit.”

Sammy stared down at his brother for a moment, but then shook his head and took a step back. “Wait. Wait! Sammy, I just want to see how you’re doing. Come on, kiddo. He’s treating you OK, isn’t he?” Dean shouted, trying to be heard. 

Cas saw the way Sammy’s face seemed to darken. Then abruptly, he drew the curtains closed and they were left standing in front of the building alone. Dean wasn’t deterred by his brother’s leaving. In fact, he looked even more determined to get to the bottom of Sammy’s actions as he marched up the steps, Cas trailing behind him uneasily.

Unsurprisingly the door was locked but Dean just shoulder checked the door with the strength that surpassed any regular human imaginable. Cas was in awe with how strong Dean was, though he shouldn’t be, considering Dean was actually a dragon.

“Something’s wrong,” Dean said as they marched up a series of stairs.

“You think so?” Cas asked.

“I know so,” Dean responded. “Dad wasn’t in the best of places when Mom died. He drank a lot after the fire. It only got worse after the first time he saw me.”

“I’m sorry,” Cas said, unsure of what else he could say.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault my old man went off kilter,” Dean said, waving off his apology. “Look we just have to hurry. I just need to see my brother again, make sure he’s OK.”

“I’m sure he is,” Cas said. The words felt hollow, like he didn’t really mean them.

Dean felt the same way. “Yeah well, I’ll feel much better if I can see it with my own eyes.” They hurried to the apartment where they saw Sammy in. It was the same one Dean remembered living in with his brother and father before he was kicked out.

Dean kicked open the door and saw his father sprawled out on the couch, a pile of empty beer bottles by his feet. John snapped awake as they entered, glaring at the sudden intrusion. It took him a moment to focus back to the present and realize his eldest son was glaring daggers at him from the entrance way.

His eyes widened in surprise. He wondered if this was all a dream because there was no way Dean would dare come back. John made sure to beat it in his son’s skull last year. But Dean was still standing there, staring at him, when John blinked the sleep from his eyes, sitting back up on the couch.

And there was some other guy next to him with dark hair and icy blue eyes. The guy gave off a terrible vibe to John.

“Hey, _dad_. Miss me?” Dean asked. He looked at the pile of beer bottles and then back to his dad sitting upright on the couch, looking for all the world, like he was completely surprised to see Dean back here. He stepped inside the apartment and took in the mess of pizza boxes everywhere and unwashed dishes on the table. His dad let the place go. He just didn’t care anymore. He wrinkled his nose at the awful smell.

For a moment his dad didn’t say anything, didn’t even move. Then John swallowed the lump in his throat and narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck are you doing back?” John growled, standing up to his full height.

Dean didn’t cower. He stood his ground when his dad started walking menacingly over to him. Before, when he was a little kid, he thought his dad was a hero, for being able to continue living and taking care of him and Sammy even after their mom passed away in a terrible house fire. It took incredible strength and courage to keep plowing through life after experiencing the loss of a loved one like that. And for that, his dad was more than just a human. He was a hero, something Dean wished to aspire to one day.

But then one day, John just stopped being a dad. He started to come back stinking like alcohol and leaving him and Sammy to fend for themselves. He’d sleep most the day away and wouldn’t even cook when he got home. He’d go in a rage if either one of them tried to wake him up and Dean’s hero worship slowly but surely turned into fear.

“I came back for Sam,” Dean said as he leaned against the door frame.

Cas tensed up beside him as the man continued towards them. He stopped in front of Dean. He was glaring at his son, the stench of alcohol almost overwhelming Cas.

“What did you just say?” Dean’s dad growled. He was turning red with anger.

Dean smirked. “I said I came back for Sam. You know, _my_ brother...has shaggy hair, heart as soft as a teddy bear’s, and about ye high,” he made a gesture with a hand, not bothered by his dad’s continuous building anger. “Ring a bell?”

If looks could kill, Dean would’ve been dead a million times over by now.

“Don’t you dare you say Sam’s name in my face, you punk! He’s my son and he doesn’t have a fucking brother,” John snarled, launching himself at Dean.

Taken by surprise, Dean let himself get tackled to the ground by his dad. He tried to push him off him, but John was faster and had his entire weight on Dean. He grabbed his hands and took out a pair of silver cuffs from his back pocket, putting them on a bewildered Dean. As soon as they were on, John sat up, smirking triumphantly.

Dean thrashed under his dad, not understanding why he suddenly felt drained. He should be stronger than the man. Dean wasn’t even human whereas John was completely human. At least as far as he knew. 

“What the fuck?” he growled, tugging at the cuffs. The cuffs were silver and glinting, with a strange pattern engraved on them. It was like the cuffs were restraining his powers somehow. “What is this?”

“I learned a thing or two about monsters like you,” John sneered down at his ex-son. “Got a hold of one of those crazy witches and told them I needed something to restrain a particularly defiant familiar. Guy said he had just the thing. He gave me the cuffs and I kept it just in case you ever decided to show your sorry ass back here. Gotta be prepared, right?”

Dean stopped struggling for a moment, staring up at his dad. He could see angry brown eyes staring back at him. There was no love in them, not anymore.

“You’re fucking crazy,” Cas heard himself say.

John turned to look over at Cas. “And who the hell are you? Another monster?”

Cas clenched his hands, trying to not let anger get the best of him. Dean needed him to be calm if they were to get out of this alive. “No. I’m a witch,” he bit out.

John snorted. “Of course you are.” He turned back to look down at Dean again. He remembered being terrified of his son when he saw Dean transform into a dragon. He had been terrified of the powers that came off Dean in waves. And as Dean grew physically, so did said powers. But now Dean was underneath him, helpless and powerless and John felt in control again. 

“You’re not taking Sammy away from me,” John told him.

“I am and you can’t stop me,” Dean said, voice confident and unwavering. “I’m going to get him somewhere far away from you, where you can’t hurt him.”

John froze. “I don’t hurt him.”

“Yeah you do. Just like you hurt me when I was a kid,” Dean said.

John was assaulted with memories of coming back home drunk off his ass and Sam and Dean greeting him. He’d fall over and sleep most of the day away, but sometimes, the boys would try to wake him up for whatever reason. 

“Shut up. I didn’t hurt you when you were a kid,” John denied. His own words felt hollow.

“You did. You’d beat me when I tried to wake you up because Sammy and I were hungry,” Dean insisted, watching as John tried to fight off long since buried memories.

“No. Shut the hell up!” The slap across his face came to a surprise to both of them.

Dean blinked, his cheek red and stinging. His dad just slapped him. He felt like he was a little kid again, helpless and under the mercy of his dad. He remembered feeling terrified and confused the first time he transformed and saw the reflection of a monster peering back at him. He looked up and saw John wrestle with his inner emotions as well.

“Dad?” Dean asked hesitantly. The cuffs completely negated his powers by now. He was at the hands of his unhinged father and was getting scared of the silence.

“Just shut up. You’re not my son,” John said hoarsely. The slap brought back memories he thought he’d locked away for good, of hitting a terrified 8 year old boy and calling him a monster and denouncing him as his son. It was a nightmare that would torment John for years to come. Denying Dean’s existence had been easier than dealing with the repercussions of his earlier actions. “It’s going to be OK though. I’ll end your sorry misery for good this time.”

“What?” Dean could barely get out any other word before John’s hands suddenly descended to wrap around his neck and choke him. He tried to push his dad away but he couldn’t with the cuffs around his wrists, keeping his powers trapped.

Cas suddenly snapped into action as the latest turn of event transpired in front of him. At first he was frozen in place by shock and fear and confusion. Dean’s inner turmoil mixed with Cas’ emotions didn’t help and Cas had a hard time trying not to drown in everything.

He suddenly felt a flare of anger burst through him as he watched Dean’s supposed dad try to choke the life out of his son. “STOP!” he shouted, taking out his wand and pointing it at John. A burst of green light hit the man and sent him flying back into the couch with such force, the couch flipped over on John. 

Cas wasted no time rushing over to Dean and taking the cuffs off him. “Are you OK?” Cas asked him as he helped Dean sit up. He waited for Dean to nod. “We need to get out of here.”

“What about Sammy?” Dean asked.

Cas looked back to find Sammy standing near the edge of the room, eyes wide and mouth gape open in horror. He watched the whole thing.


	5. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: character death
> 
> the chapter updates are going to slow down a little bit

“Sammy?” Dean watched as Sam stumbled into the room. He looked between the flipped over couch and then back to Dean. He looked scared still and torn between running back to his room and slamming the door closed, wanting to forget all this happened, or checking up on their dad who might or might not be alive right now.

“Sammy, are you...OK?” Dean asked hesitantly. Sam was still busy trying to make sense of it all, and Dean didn’t know whether he was welcomed by his brother or not. He was trying to help Sam, to save him from the years of abuse that Dean had to endure before he was kicked out.

Sam snapped his head to look at his brother for the first time since he saw him out the window. Dean looked like he did before dad kicked him out last year. His short, blond hair was in disarray from the brawl but his green eyes were still bright and demanding as he took a step closer to Sam. His freckles stood out on his pale skin. He might have been a little skinnier but the bulk of his jacket hid his body well.

Sam took in his the strange man still crouched down by his brother. The guy had dark hair and blue eyes and he was staring at Sam in a way that creeped him out, like he was trying to look deep into Sam. Sam wasn’t sure what the man was trying to find inside Sam, but he had to look away because the intensity was getting to be too much and Sam had to check on their dad. What was he going to do if John died? Where would he go? Sam was only 14 years old.

Sam didn’t say anything to Dean as he made a beeline for the fallen couch. He struggled to lift it up. He was too weak on his own and he started to feel the wetness around his eyes as he blinked back tears. He wasn’t going to start crying. Sam nearly jumped when he felt the couch lift and then Dean was standing next to him, both hands easing the couch off the floor with inhuman strength. Sam forgot how strong Dean was, due to him being part dragon. 

It used to scare him, especially with the way their dad talked about how Dean’s powers made him a monster. But as he grew older and watched his brother’s relationship with their dad’s, he realized the true monster wasn’t Dean. Still he was powerless to stop the beating when Dean was 12 and he was only 8 and Dad kept saying he knew better than the boys. And their dad was barely ever in his right mind. There was always alcohol involved in some way.

He watched as Dean dropped the couch behind them. Their dad was groaning in pain. The shirt Dad was wearing was charred in the middle, like lightning had struck him. He remembered seeing a bright green light and saw Dad crash into the couch. Sam tugged at his dad’s shirt, pulling it up to see a deep hole in his stomach. It looked so bad, Dad was dying.

Sam looked up at his brother, pleading with him silently to do something. _Don’t let Dad die_ , he thought.

Dean stared down at the gaping hole in his dad’s stomach in horror. He could feel the bile coming up his throat and he realized he was moments away from puking in front of his brother. He tried to swallow it down, but the smell, like burnt flesh was too much for him and he barely had time to stagger back and vomit to the side.

This was his dad and while he may have beat Dean when he was a kid and confused and had no idea how to control his powers and defend himself, he never wished him dead. But now he realized his dad was dying and it was his fault. He gripped the couch to keep himself from falling over, his legs suddenly felt like jello.

“I’m sorry, Sammy. I shouldn’t have come back,” Dean murmured. He just wanted to take Sammy somewhere safe. He didn’t want to kill his dad. He was going to let the alcohol do that. 

When he turned back, he found Sam shaking his head in denial. He was still clinging to Dad’s dying body. “No! Don’t say that like you can’t save him,” Sam said, blinking back more tears.

Cas watched, numb, as the brothers stood over their dying father’s body. This was his fault. He didn’t mean to kill the man, he meant to just knock him back, away from Dean before he choked the life out of him. But Cas had been angry. He hadn’t been in full control of himself and he channeled his anger into his wand and then there was a bright green light that shot out of it and into John.

Dean looked over to Cas like he could hold the answer to all of this. But the joke was on Dean. Cas was as useless as a baby. He only knew how to kill apparently, not to save. There was no magic that could cure a wound like the one he inflicted on Dean’s father. He watched, detached, as John’s breathing became shallow and slow, and then a moment later, it stopped.

Cas just became a witch and he found his dragon and the first thing he did outside the witch community was kill a human. Sure it was in self-defense. But Cas couldn’t deny that this was his fault. Cas was a killer.

Dean decided it would be best for everyone that they burn John’s body. John kept to himself most of the time and he only had Sam and Dean since Mom died in the fire over a decade ago. No one was going to miss John Winchester, except maybe his sons. 

Sam was extremely hesitant to leave with them but Dean didn’t give his brother much of a choice. He couldn’t leave the kid to fend for himself, especially in this part of town where dirty men and women liked to take advantage of the young and vulnerable. Dean lived out on the streets for a year, so he knew better than any of them what it was like.

“Where are we going?” Sam asked after a while, the first time he spoke in hours.

“My parents,” Cas answered. They were in an alley next to the building. It was dark and away from prying eyes. Cas has never done this before but he read the books enough to know the ingredients and steps by memory. He drew a circle big enough for the three of them to easily stand in and drew a symbol that looked vaguely like a serpent. He stood up when he was done and gestured for the brothers to step inside the circle with him. It was a simple teleportation spell that let someone travel from a short distance.

He said aloud the words used to activate the spell as Sam looked around uneasily, before the three became engulfed in purple light. Cas was in awe it worked as he had never tried this particular spell before on his own. He had seen his dad do it over a dozen times though, travelling to and from meetings, sometimes taking Cas with him.

The world spun around them in a blur of colors that ranged from green and blue and white and finally purple. It finally stopped after a few minutes and Cas staggered out of the circle, nearly tripping in an attempt to catch himself on the familiar large rustic desk that stood on the far side of his dad’s office. He watched as Sam and Dean took in their surroundings, unsure of what happened.

Sam was in shock at all of the events that transpired in the span of several hours. This morning he had been content to be locked in his room, sitting in his bed and looking at old photos as he tried to ignore the fact that his dad was sleeping in the other room and his brother wasn’t with them anymore. But now, here he was, in an unknown place with his brother and a stranger and John Winchester dead.

He looked around uneasily. There was an antique desk in the far corner and another desk on the side opposite. He looked behind him to where there was a circle carved in the floor, the same symbol that Dean’s friend had drawn. If he hadn’t just witnessed his dad killed, he’d have been looking in wonder, because he just travelled by magic. He only ever read and saw magic in books and TV. 

As Sam wandered around with Dean at his heels, Cas took the time to look for his dad. His dad should’ve been in here. He had converted this room into an office space and liked to do anything witch related in here. The room felt strangely empty without his dad’s presence.

“So where are your parents?” Dean asked, as he picked up a faded photo of Cas, Chuck and Anna looking like the epitome of a happy family. He squinted his eyes, studying the photo more and realized there was a large leopard sitting in front of their feet. “Is that…?”

Cas walked over and saw what Dean was pointing to. He nodded with a faint smile. “My dad’s familiar. Her name is Mary.”

Dean froze and he heard his brother gasp loudly. Cas looked at the two in confusion. “What’s wrong? Mary has been in our family for many decades. She’s one of the most powerful familiars in the witch community and she’s extremely smart and loyal.” He realized he was starting to gush about his dad’s familiar but he couldn’t help it. Everyone in his family loved Mary.

“Nothing,” Dean said once he got over his initial shock. “Sorry. It’s just that…”

“That’s our mom’s name,” Sam whispered, when Dean trailed off. “She died in a fire when I was just a baby.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Cas said, feeling numb again.

Dean shook his head and put the photo back on the desk. He noticed a pile of books next to the photo. The top one had a dragon on the front. Dean was mesmerized by how powerful the dragon looked on the cover, large wings outstretched, a blaze of fire shooting out of its mouth. The green dragon looked regal, standing proudly upright. There was a witch on its back looking fierce in a grey robe and hat, one hand stretched out with a wand pointing behind them.

Sam was looking over Dean’s shoulder when he noticed his brother had stopped. He wanted to know what caught Dean’s attention and saw the book. It had a dragon and a witch on it and read ‘The History of Familiars’. He blinked, wondering what was inside it. Sam had always been a bookworm, as Dean used to call him. He loved learning and magic had always fascinated him. When he realized Dean was a familiar, he often fantasized about him and his brother travelling to the witch community and learning about magic, even if Sam couldn’t use magic. He used to pretend he was a witch.

Realizing he had been staring at the book for so long, Dean turned around and walked over to Cas. Cas looked worried. “Dad should be here,” he said. “I’m going to go look for him.” He didn’t bother waiting for Dean to reply. He had a feeling there was something wrong the moment they stepped foot in the office. It was empty and wholly untouched and that was not like Chuck at all.

He ran through the house, checking every room and finding each one empty. He knew his dad wasn’t in a meeting today. He would’ve told Cas. And Mary was gone too and she usually lounged about in the house.

“Dad? Mom?” he called out as he ran around. 

There was no sign of anyone here.

Sam and Dean were standing just outside the office when Cas returned, feeling defeated and tired.

“I think something happened to my parents,” Cas said.


End file.
